Market Report: CBD Industry Has Come a Long Way in Improving The Quality and Accuracy of its Products

The CBD industry is notorious for its lack of transparency. Although CBD brands are increasingly using independent third-party lab testing to confirm the safety and potency of their products, many still don’t contain as much CBD as advertised.

That’s why Leafreport partnered with Las Vegas’ Canalysis Laboratories to put dozens of CBD products from various brands to the test. Our goal was simple: check if these products contain as much CBD as the company says they do. We started with 37 different products and brands and will be adding more in the future.

Most of the results went as expected, while others were quite shocking. Read on for our detailed report and be sure to check for future updates.

Note: this investigation is just one of Leafreport’s ongoing efforts to bring transparency to the CBD industry and educate consumers. You can also check out our report on CBD prices. We have surveyed over 3500 products from 52 different brands and rated them based on price, purity of product, the potencies available, the transparency and reputation of each company and their customer service and also summaries all in the following report cheap CBD oil products.

Following this report and rest of the reports we are doing, we conducted the

Summary

On the whole, the tests suggest that the CBD industry has come a long way in improving the quality and accuracy of its products. However, there is still cause for concern. Here are the key findings:

• Out of the 37 products tested, 27 (73%) had CBD levels within 10% of the claimed amount
• 5 products (13%) had CBD levels that were more than 40% higher or lower than what the labels claimed
• One product contained only 6% of the CBD stated on the label
• 31 (84%) of the products contained more CBD than advertised, so you’re more likely to get more CBD than less
• Most of the brands we tested are popular and reputable. The products that performed the best were made by leading, well-reviewed brands, whereas those that performed poorly were offered by lesser-known companies. This provides further proof that you should only buy from reputable CBD brands.
• 12 (33%) brands had significant levels of other cannabinoids besides CBD, which is a sign of a high-quality hemp extract

Take a look at our buying guides

With such a wide variety of available CBD products, it’s not always easy to make a choice and find the right product for your needs.

Therefore, we examined dozens of brands, comparing their prices, third-party testing results, potency, hemp quality, and other factors.

We researched CBD products for different consumption methods and for different health conditions to help you find the most suitable ones.

• Best CBD oil – We chose these CBD oils from a list of over 3000 CBD products and 150 brands, comparing them by third-party lab test results, hemp quality, reputation, price, and other criteria.

• Best CBD gummies – Because there are so many CBD gummies out there, it can be difficult to figure out which product is suitable for your needs. We’ve compiled a list of some of the finest CBD gummies on the market. For those seeking a sleeping aid, we have also compiled a comprehensive list of the best CBD gummies for sleep. We did the same for the best CBD gummies for pain.

• Best CBD capsules – One popular delivery system is CBD capsules and softgels. These are used like any other capsule or softgel, which makes it a simple, convenient way to take CBD

• Best CBD for dogs & cats – There are a wide range of CBD products for pets out there, from tinctures and treats to balms, salves, and creams. Because interest in CBD has increased, more companies are creating pet-specific CBD items, which means we’re spoiled for choice. If you’re shopping for CBD pet products, you might be overwhelmed by all the choices out there

• Best CBD for pain – Many people use CBD products for pain relief. This isn’t surprising as research has shown that CBD can help with various types of pain. As part of our research, we compared dozens of CBD products in order to determine the most effective ones for treating pain. We also created a list of the Best CBD for Arthritis.

• Best CBD for anxiety – Our team of medical doctors, nutritionists, and other health experts chose these products based on their quality, transparency, price, and other criteria. For example, all of the products we recommend are tested by a third party lab to verify their potency and safety.

• Best CBD for sleep – However, the wide variety of available CBD products can be overwhelming. That’s why we researched and compared dozens of brands to find the best CBD ones for sleep.

• Best full spectrum CBD oil – Full-spectrum CBD is a whole-plant hemp extract. It contains the complete range of cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids, and potentially other compounds naturally present in hemp. We used our database to compare hundreds of CBD oils based on objective criteria. In this post, we’ll review the most effective full-spectrum CBD tinctures that we found.

Accuracy Rating

We rated the accuracy of each CBD product by comparing the amount of CBD stated on the label to the actual amount measured by lab technicians from Canalysis Laboratories.

According to cannabis industry experts, +/- 10% is an allowable amount of variance for cannabis products, which means that a high-quality CBD product is expected to have CBD levels that are within 90–110% of what’s stated on the label.

That’s why we scored products with an accuracy within 10% as A (excellent), whereas products with lower accuracy received a rating of B, C, or F. Here’s a complete breakdown of each rating:

1. A (Excellent): independent lab tests showed CBD levels that were within 10% of what was stated on the label.
2. B (Decent): independent lab tests showed CBD levels that were within 20% of what was stated on the label.
3. C (Poor): independent lab tests showed CBD levels that were within 30% of what was stated on the label.
4. F (fail): independent lab tests showed CBD levels that differed from the label by more than 30%.

CBD Third-Party Lab Testing Explained

Third-party CBD tests are done by an independent laboratory unaffiliated with the company to confirm the potency and safety of the product in question.

The most common and important third-party test done for CBD products is called a cannabinoid profile or potency test.

It shows how much CBD (and potentially other cannabinoids) is in the product, helping you confirm that the amount stated on the label is what’s actually found inside. This is the only way to ensure you’re actually getting what you paid for. You can learn more about cannabinoid profile test here.

This test is extremely important for several reasons:

• A product with less CBD than claimed will be less effective and may lead people to think that CBD doesn’t have any benefits
• Similarly, a product with more CBD than claimed will affect your dosage and increase the risk of potential side effects
• CBD products are not cheap, so you want to know you’re getting your money’s worth

Watch our interview with the laboratory director of “Canalysis Laboratories” about cannabinoids profile test (Min. 19:55 – 22:58):

Certificate of Analysis (CoA)

We ordered potency tests for dozens of products from Canalysis. The results of these tests were recorded in documents known as certificates of analysis (CoAs).

We then compared the amount of CBD shown on the CoAs to the amount stated on the product’s label, and calculated how accurate it was.

For example, if a tincture that’s claimed to contain 500 mg of CBD actually had 510 mg, that it means it was 510/500 = 2% higher. Since this is well within the 10% range expected for a quality CBD product, it’s considered an excellent (A) result.

How to Read CoAs

Third-party CoAs are typically posted by CBD brands on their website for customers to look at. Reading a CoA can be a bit overwhelming at first because of their scientific jargon and confusing layout. However, it doesn’t have to be difficult.

The most important info to look for is the “cannabinoids” section. Here, you will see a column with cannabinoids (including CBD, THC, and others) and a column with their reported amounts.

For CBD, the number can represent the total CBD found in the product or how much is in a given amount (e.g. one capsule or 1 ml). There will typically be more information to explain which amount is being shown.

This is enough to get you started. For more info, check out our detailed guide on reading a CoA.

Summary Table

Here’s the summary of test results for the 37 CBD products we examined. Most of these are CBD oil tinctures, but some are also edibles, topicals, and pet products.

Note that products with a minus sign in the variance column contained less CBD than claimed, whereas the rest had more CBD.

Disclaimer: Our report is based solely on the test findings. Test results may vary due to the natural variation of CBD levels in hemp, degradation of CBD and other cannabinoids over time, and other factors. Our findings should not be seen as conclusive, complete, error-free, or at all times methodologically or scientifically accurate.

Detailed Test Results

CBD Dog Health Calm Tincture for Dogs

As the name suggests, Florida’s CBD Dog Health focuses on CBD products for dogs. We tested the company’s 550 mg CBD tincture, revealing that it contained 595.1 mg of CBD.

That’s an excellent result: a difference of only 8.2%, which falls within our A rating. It also highlights that just because a CBD company is not that well-known doesn’t necessarily mean its products are of low quality.

The tests also showed the presence of other beneficial phytocannabinoids, such as CBC. This confirms that the product is made with whole-plant hemp extract, which is more beneficial than pure CBD on its own.

CBDMEDIC Eczema Ointment

CBDMEDIC is a CBD company that focuses on topical products that combine CBD with evidence-backed ingredients such as menthol. It was famously endorsed by retired NFL player Rob Gronkowski.

CBDMEDIC’s eczema ointment was the only topical product that we tested, revealing that it contained 204.8 mg of CBD, a difference of only 2.3% from the stated amount of 200 mg. That’s a great result.

CBDPure Hemp Oil

CBDPure is another relatively well-known CBD brand operating out of Washington.

We tested the company’s 300 mg Hemp oil tincture. As you can see, it performed great with 316.6 mg of CBD total, a difference of only 5.5% from what’s shown on the label.

CBDfx CBD Tincture

CBDfx is a very popular brand, so we were curious to see if its acclaim matched up to the quality of its products. We tested the company’s 500 mg CBD oil tincture.

As expected, the results were great: the CBD oil contained 519.2 mg of CBD, a difference of only 3.8%. That’s a great level of accuracy, especially considering companies have to maintain it for hundreds of identical products.

CBDistillery CBD Isolate Tincture

One of the biggest names in the U.S. CBD industry, CBDistillery is known for offering great prices and being transparent about its manufacturing process. It’s also certified by the U.S. Hemp Authority, which highlights adherence to strict hemp manufacturing standards.

As such, we weren’t surprised to see that their 250 mg CBD isolate tincture performed exceptionally well. It contained 253.2 mg of CBD, a difference of only 1.3% from the label. Maintaining such a small amount of variance is quite difficult.

Deep Relief Tincture

Deep Relief was founded by two men who personally experienced the health benefits of CBD. We tested the company’s 500 mg tincture, which showed 545.7mg of CBD: a difference of 9.1%, which falls within our A (excellent) rating.

Although Deep Relief is not the biggest CBD company out there, it’s clear that it does pay attention to the quality of its products.

The tests also showed the presence of other beneficial phytocannabinoids, such as CBG and CBC. This confirms that the product is made with whole-plant hemp extract, which is more beneficial than pure CBD on its own.

Elixinol CBD Tincture

Elixinol is another well-known CBD brand that sources hemp from both the United States and Europe. We tested its 300 mg CBD tincture, which actually contained 305.2 mg of CBD, a tiny difference of 1.7%.

That’s one of the best results we’ve seen, and it’s not surprising given that Elixinol is a well-established CBD brand that’s had some time to perfect its products.

Endoca Raw Hemp Oil

Denmark’s Endoca was established in 2010, making it one of the oldest and most trusted CBD brands in the world. We tested its 300 mg raw hemp oil and the results didn’t disappoint: the tincture contained 296.15 mg, just 1.3% less than the advertised amount.

This certainly gives more weight to Endoca’s claims of performing thorough in-house testing of its products in addition to third-party tests to maintain strict quality control.

The tests also showed the presence of other beneficial phytocannabinoids, such as CBDV, THCV, CBG, CBDA, CBGA and CBC. This confirms that the product is made with whole-plant hemp extract, which is more beneficial than pure CBD on its own.

Fab CBD Citrus Full Spectrum CBD Oil

Fab CBD is a Florida-based company that’s been steadily growing in popularity. We took a look at its full-spectrum, citrus-flavored CBD oil. The label says it should contain 300 mg of CBD, and our tests showed 302.3 mg — a variance of only 0.8%.

This was one of the best results we saw during our tests, confirming that Fab CBD is a brand to keep an eye on if you’re looking for quality and transparency.

Funky Farms Alaskan Ice Tincture

Funky Farms is another CBD brand from Florida. There wasn’t that much information available about this company, except for the fact that it sources its hemp from Oregon. However, we were pleasantly surprised by the test results.

The company’s Alaskan Ice flavor 250 mg CBD tincture contained 249.1 mg, which was only 0.4% lower than the label. This was the best result seen in our independent tests, with only one other brand reporting the same level of accuracy.

The tests also showed the presence of other beneficial phytocannabinoids, such as CBC. This confirms that the product is made with whole-plant hemp extract, which is more beneficial than pure CBD on its own.

Green Gorilla Full Spectrum CBD Oil

Green Gorilla was founded in 2013 and is one of the only USDA organic-certified CBD companies in the United States.

Given the difficulty of obtaining this status, we expected the brand to do great on our tests, and it didn’t disappoint. Green Gorilla’s 300 mg CBD oil actually contained 307.2 mg, a difference of only 2.4%.

Green Roads CBD Oil

Florida’s Green Roads is one of the biggest CBD companies by market share in the United States. Naturally, we were curious to see if the brand’s popularity and reach matched up to the claims of its high quality.

We tested Green Roads’ 250 mg CBD oil, with tests showing that it contained 256.97 mg, a variance of only 2.8%. That’s a great result.

Honest Paws CBD Oil for Dogs

A brand dedicated entirely to pets, Honest Paws has the look and feel of a brand you can trust. We tested its 125 mg CBD oil for small dogs, which revealed a CBD content of 126.1mg.

That’s a difference of only 0.9%, which confirms that Honest Paws is a reputable company with high-quality products.

Joy Organics Tranquil Mint Tincture

Joy Organics is a family-run CBD company that’s known for offering a wide range of THC-free products.

We tested its tranquil mint-flavored 450 mg tincture, which actually contains 473.2 mg of CBD. That’s a difference of 5.1%, which is well within our 10% variance for grade-A (excellent) accuracy.

JustCBD Tincture

JustCBD is a CBD company from Florida known for offering a wide variety of products ranging from tinctures to gummies.

We took a look at its 250 mg CBD oil tincture, with Canalysis’ tests showing it actually had 235.14 mg of CBD, which is 5.9% less. That’s another great result.

Lazarus Naturals Chocolate Mint High-Potency Tincture

Lazarus Naturals is one of the most trusted and respected brands in the CBD space, so we had really high expectations for their high-potency chocolate mint tincture. It’s supposed to contain 750 mg of CBD and our tests revealed 773.9 mg, a difference of only 3.2%.

That’s a great result confirming that Lazarus Naturals, which is known for its exceptionally low prices, employee-owned business model, and vertically-sourced hemp, is as reputable as it seems.

The tests also showed the presence of other beneficial phytocannabinoids, such as CBC. This confirms that the product is made with whole-plant hemp extract, which is more beneficial than pure CBD on its own.

Medterra Broad-Spectrum Tincture

Medterra is one of the biggest and most popular CBD companies out there. It’s got all the signs of a reputable brand, such as the coveted U.S. Hemp Authority certification that’s only given to companies that adhere to strict manufacturing standards.

We put Medterra’s 1000 mg tincture to the test, showing a real CBD content of 1077.15 mg: a difference of 7.7%. That’s well within the +/- 10% variance, giving Medterra a well-deserved A rating.

The tests also showed the presence of other beneficial phytocannabinoids, such as CBDV and CBN. This confirms that the product is made with whole-plant hemp extract, which is more beneficial than pure CBD on its own.

Nanocraft CBD Oil

California’s Nanocraft CBD is unique for using nanotechnology to formulate its products, which is believed to enhance CBD’s absorption by breaking it down into microscopic molecules.

With such advanced scientific methods, we expected Nanocraft’s CBD oil to perform great, and it did. The tincture contained 305.45 mg of CBD, only 1.8% more than the stated amount of 300 mg.

NuLeaf Naturals CBD Oil

Established in 2014 in Denver, Colorado, NuLeaf Naturals is one of the most trusted names in CBD. This company specializes in CBD oil tinctures and doesn’t sell any other type of product, so we expected an excellent result.

We tested the company’s 240 mg tincture, which showed an actual CBD content of 232.8 mg. That’s only 3% less than the label, which is an excellent result.

The tests also showed the presence of other beneficial phytocannabinoids, such as CBDV, CBG and CBC. This confirms that the product is made with whole-plant hemp extract, which is more beneficial than pure CBD on its own.

Pachamama Black Pepper Turmeric Tincture

Founded by two brothers, Pachamama is a Colorado-based CBD company that offers tinctures, topicals, and vape products.

We tested the company’s black pepper and turmeric-infused 750 mg tincture, showing that it contained 758.2 mg of CBD. That’s a small difference of 1.1%, which gives this CBD oil an A (excellent rating).

The tests also showed the presence of other beneficial phytocannabinoids, such as CBC. This confirms that the product is made with whole-plant hemp extract, which is more beneficial than pure CBD on its own.

PlusCBD Oil Gold Drops

PlusCBD Oil was one of the first companies to sell CBD oil in the U.S. and continues to be popular today. It tests all of its products in-house in addition to third-party testing, so we were expecting a great result on our independent tests.

We examined PlusCBD Oil’s gold drops, which are supposed to contain 250 mg of CBD. Our tests revealed a precise amount of 247.3 mg, which is only 1.1% lower than the label. That’s the excellent level of accuracy we expect from such an experienced brand.

Receptra Naturals Vanilla Mint Serious Rest Tincture

Receptra Naturals is a Colorado-based CBD company that has all the signs of a great brand, such as a high-quality hemp source and third-party testing. But how did it fare on our independent tests?

We examined Receptra’s vanilla mint-flavored sleep-oriented tincture. This product should contain 750 mg of CBD and our tests revealed an actual content of 747.15 mg: a difference of only 0.4%. Alongside Funky Farms, this was the best accuracy of any CBD product we tested.

The tests also showed the presence of other beneficial phytocannabinoids, such as CBG and CBC. This confirms that the product is made with whole-plant hemp extract, which is more beneficial than pure CBD on its own.

Savage CBD Tincture

California’s Savage CBD is a sleek-looking brand, but does the appearance match what’s found inside its products? We tested the company’s 1000 mg CBD oil tincture, showing 1016.25 mg of CBD.

That’s a difference of only 1.6%, one of the better scores on our list of 37 products. That’s well within our +/- 10% variance for an excellent (A-rating) accuracy.

Sunmed Broad-Spectrum Lemon Tincture

Sunmed is not the best-known CBD company, but does that necessarily mean its products are lower quality? We analyzed its lemon-flavored tincture, which is supposed to contain 240 mg of CBD.

Our tests revealed a CBD content of 251.01 mg, which is 4.6% higher than the label and well within our 10% requirement for an excellent product.

Veritas Farms Unflavored Tincture

Veritas Farms is a Colorado-based CBD company using locally grown hemp. We tested its unflavored CBD tincture to see if its claims of strict quality control were true.

This tincture should contain 250 mg of CBD, and our tests showed a CBD content of 255.45 mg. That’s only 2.2% higher than the label, which is well within our 10% allowance for a highly accurate product. Another great result to close out our report.

cbdMD CBD Oil Tincture

CbdMD is another popular CBD company that’s perhaps best known for sponsoring athletes across a wide variety of sports. We put its 300 mg CBD oil tincture to the test, revealing that it contained 321.3 mg, a variance of 7.1%.

Although not as accurate as some other brands on the list, this is within the 10% allowable variance limit, so it’s still an excellent result.

Dixie Botanicals CBD Tinctures

Dixie Botanicals was founded in 2012, making it one of the oldest and most established CBD brands in the U.S. We examined the company’s 250 mg, peppermint-flavored dew drops tincture.

The tests showed that the tincture actually contained 245.8 mg of CBD, a difference of only 1.7%. That’s an excellent result that adds weight to the company’s claims of having its products tested three separate times during the manufacturing process.

Charlotte’s Web CBD Oil

One of the pioneers of CBD in the United States, Charlotte’s Web is a highly regarded company. Our tests showed that their 17 mg/ml CBD oil tincture contained 12.4% more CBD than it should: 562.15 mg instead of 500 mg.

Although it’s always nice to get more CBD than you paid for, this number falls short of our 10% variance for an A rating, so this oil received a B. We were surprised to see such a big, established CBD company fall just a tad short.

The tests also showed the presence of other beneficial phytocannabinoids, such as CBC. This confirms that the product is made with whole-plant hemp extract, which is more beneficial than pure CBD on its own.

Chronic Candy CBD Infused Gummies

You probably haven’t heard of Chronic Candy, a CBD brand specializing in delicious CBD edibles. However, this company has been around since 1998, which is a very long time in the CBD industry.

We tested the brand’s CBD-infused gummies, which are claimed to contain 2.5 mg of CBD each. The tests showed that they actually contained 2.9 mg, which is 16.4% higher. This result isn’t that bad considering that edibles are harder to manufacture with consistent dosages, but it can be better.

Original Hemp Fresh Berry Tincture

Original Hemp has the look of a reputable brand, but do its products measure up? We tested the company’s fresh berry flavor tincture, which should contain 250 mg of CBD. Our tests showed an actual CBD content of 297.3mg, which is 18.9% higher.

Although this result isn’t terrible, it’s well outside of the 10% required for an excellent (A) rating, so we give it a B.

The tests also showed the presence of other beneficial phytocannabinoids, such as CBC. This confirms that the product is made with whole-plant hemp extract, which is more beneficial than pure CBD on its own.

RSHO CBD Tincture

Real Scientific Hemp Oil (RSHO) was one of the pioneers of CBD in the United States and worldwide, so it was interesting to see how it would do on our tests.

We analyzed the company’s 100 mg CBD tincture, with tests showing a real CBD content of 117.99 mg: 18% higher than the label. While this isn’t a bad result, it’s outside the 10% allowance for our excellent (A) accuracy rating and scores a B.

Irwin Naturals CBD Oil

Irwin Naturals is not the biggest name in CBD, but it does boast high reviews on the independent review site Trustpilot. That’s why we were surprised to see its 250 mg CBD oil perform quite poorly.

The tests showed that this tincture contained 317.4 mg of CBD, which is 27% higher than the label. While it’s certainly great to get more rather than less CBD for the same cost, it’s no excuse for such a large difference.

CalyFX Social Tincture

California’s CalyFx is not the biggest CBD brand out there, but we were still surprised by the test results.

The tests showed that their social tincture, which is supposed to contain 1000 mg of CBD, had 61.8 mg — only 6.2% of what was claimed. This was by far the worst result of any CBD product we tested.

Diamond CBD Full Spectrum CBD Oil 25 mg (30 ml)

Diamond CBD is unique for offering many other CBD brands on its website. Aside from that, however, most of the information we could find about the company is fairly generic.

We tested its full-spectrum 25 mg tincture, which should already raise some questions over its extremely low CBD concentration. The tests showed an actual CBD amount of 40.6 mg. That’s 62.2% more than the company claims it should contain, which is a resounding F grade.

King Kanine CBD Oil

King Kanine is one of the best-known pet-centric CBD brands, so we were curious to see if there was substance behind its popularity. We tested the company’s 75 mg CBD oil tincture, which showed an actual CBD content of 109.7 mg.

That’s a difference of some 46.3% — one of the worst results we saw on our tests. While this might not seem like much considering this product’s low CBD concentration, it may be a problem if King Kanine’s other products have such a low level of accuracy.

PureKana Citrus CBD Oil

PureKana is a popular brand offering every type of CBD product imaginable. We put its 300 mg citrus-flavored CBD oil to the test.

Surprisingly, the tests showed an actual CBD content of 488.5 mg, a massive difference of 62.8% from the label. Again, while we’d rather have a product that contains more CBD than advertised rather than less, the accuracy of this product is too low to be trusted.

The tests also showed the presence of other beneficial phytocannabinoids, such as CBC. This confirms that the product is made with whole-plant hemp extract, which is more beneficial than pure CBD on its own.

Tree of Life CBD Drops

Tree of Life Seeds shares the identities of its CEO and other staff directly on the company’s website, which is a sign of a transparent company. But does that mean its products can be trusted?

We tested Tree of Life’s 250 mg tincture, which actually contained roughly half the stated amount: 130.92 mg. That’s 47.6% less than the label, one of the worst results out of the 37 products we tested. Such a low accuracy earns our F rating.

Conclusion

Our investigation confirms that although the CBD industry has come a long way, it still has much room to improve in terms of providing accurate, high-quality products.

At the same time, the results highlight that most popular, trusted top CBD brands, including the likes of Lazarus Naturals, CBDistillery, cbdMD, CBDfx, and Green Roads provide accurate products that match the company’s transparent image.

We urge anyone interested in buying CBD oil or other CBD products to only purchase from brands that provide independent third-party lab test results (the same tests that we used for our investigation). These results should clearly list the CBD amount so you can confirm that the product contains exactly what is written on the label.

Have you found something wrong in our report? We hold ourselves to the highest standards, however, we are not infallible. If you found an error, or believe something to be wrong in this report, please report it to us via: noa@leafreport.com